Friday 13 September 2013

Sleep Issues - Baby No Naps

Go to sleep my baby, ahh! For the last ten months I have been of the view that I can't let Eva cry in her cot to get herself to sleep cos that would be the worst thing in the world to me. So she hasn't napped and used to sleep right through the night but she's always shattered and EVERYONE comments on how tired she looks. Motherhood is hard, I am torn as to what to do with her, she won't sleep if we go out in the pram. I have walked for up to four hours and she still wont sleep. This is with the hood down and she's all covered up so she's not being extra stimulated. The only way to get her to nap is in the car and that just isn't feasible on a daily basis for naps. I have fed her to sleep on the mattress on the floor and I leave when she falls asleep but for the last few months she wakes right up again minutes later and is crawling about the floor!

So, we put one of our smaller sofas in her room so I could feed her there, then when she was full put her in the cot and she would fall asleep, right? Most of the time this has worked actually, I will put my hand on her chest so she knows I'm there and it helps her relax. However there are then the times, like today, when she is over tired and will just scream and scream and scream. So far its been for half an hour. Sometimes she won't sleep at all like this, she will just cry for hours and hours. Hopefully today isn't one of those days. I think I just have a very emotional baby and I can't even soothe her because the only thing that will work is the magic word - sleep. Even then, though she sleeps for an hour Eva will wake up crying. Its heart breaking, is she ever getting a good sleep?

God, this is hard! I feel so tense but I honestly feel there is nothing left that I can try. She has to learn to do this herself. I have to learn to leave her and keep up the routine. 

3 comments:

  1. I feel your pain. Does she not sleep when in the carrier/sling? xx

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    1. I haven't carried her in the carrier since she was tiny cos my back just hurt when i tried. i had all the intentions of doing it but its not physically possible. eva is just too aware and wants to be involved in everything. had a bit of a break down today but maybe it was a break through? lol xxx

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    2. Lol I think the two are closely linked ;) Willow is the same, she's never fallen asleep on her own for a nap. Has to be car or Boba. She can't switch off enough & doesn't want to miss anything but I am desperate for a couple of hours to myself during nap time so I keep going with the Boba! Won't be long & they will be past the napping age xxx

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